Vacuum-operated trash receptacle

ABSTRACT

A vacuum-operated trash receptacle which is characterized by a container fitted with an air blower, vacuum pump or the like, either on the preforated lid, bottom or on the side thereof and having a like-shaped, removable, typically slotted liner inserted therein. In a preferred embodiment, the outer wall or walls and/or bottom of the liner are spaced from the corresponding inside wall or walls and bottom panel of the container, respectively, to define a separate or connected annulus between the bottom and wall or walls of the container and liner. The container is further provided with a top flange which receives a corresponding liner flange on the liner to seal the separate or connected bottom and wall annulus and facilitate development of a vacuum in the bottom annulus and wall annulus or both and in the liner by operation of the air blower. This vacuum operates to deploy a trash bag against the inside wall of the liner, either when the container is open or when a perforated lid is fitted over the container to close the liner.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of and incorporates byreference prior filed copending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.No. 60/464,055, filed Apr. 21, 2003.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention includes a vacuum-operated trash receptacle whichis characterized in a preferred embodiment by a cylindrical containerhaving a top flange that receives a perforated lid or cover and acylindrical liner which is smaller in diameter and typically shorterthan the container, fitted inside the container and provided with a topflange and slots or openings in the wall thereof. A trash receptacle orbag is placed inside the liner and in a first preferred embodiment anelectric air blower or inflator or a vacuum pump (hereinafter called airblower) is provided in the bottom of the container and communicates withan annulus defined by the liner bottom and the container bottom andoptionally, the outside liner wall and the inside container wall. Thisstructure facilitates the development of a vacuum inside the liner andthe annulus, with corresponding deployment of the wall of the trash bagagainst the liner to optimize opening of the trash bag to full volumeinside the liner for containing trash by operation of the air blower. Ina second embodiment of the invention the air blower is positioned in theside or wall of the container and communicates with the annulus betweenthe outside liner wall and the inside container wall, to effect the samevacuum in the liner and annulus and optimum deployment of the trash bagin the liner. In a third embodiment an air blower is mounted on theinside of the lid or cover and the liner flange is omitted from theliner or is perforated, for introducing air directly into the trash bagand deploying the bag against the liner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] The invention will be better understood by reference to thefollowing drawings wherein:

[0004]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment ofthe vacuum-operated trash receptacle having a bottom-mounted air blower,with the trash bag deployed in the liner and the liner located infunctional configuration inside the container;

[0005]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the vacuum-operated trash receptacleillustrated in FIG. 1, more particularly illustrating the slotted linerand the trash bag, both disposed for deployment in the container;

[0006]FIG. 3 is an inverted view, partially in section, of the bottomsegment of the vacuum-operated trash receptacle illustrated in FIGS. 1and 2, illustrating the air blower mounted in the bottom panel of thecontainer;

[0007]FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the containerillustrated in FIG. 1, with the liner in place in the container and thetrash bag positioned inside the liner, more particularly illustratingthe connected bottom and side or wall annulus formed between therespective bottom and wall of the liner and the container for generatinga vacuum inside the liner adjacent to the trash bag when the air bloweris operating;

[0008]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment ofthe vacuum-operated trash receptacle, wherein the air blower is mountedin the wall of the container;

[0009]FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the wall of the containerillustrated in FIG. 5, more particularly illustrating the wall-mountedair blower detail with the blower suction in communication with the wallannulus between the outside wall of the liner and the inside containerwall; and

[0010]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a perforated container cover orlid fitted with a blower for introducing air directly into the trash bagand deploying the trash bag against the liner or container undercircumstances where the liner flange is perforated or omitted from theliner.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Referring initially to FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings in a firstpreferred embodiment the vacuum-operated trash receptacle of thisinvention is generally illustrated by reference numeral 1. Thevacuum-operated trash receptacle 1 is characterized by a typicallycylindrical container 2, defined by a cylindrical container wall 3,fitted with a container flange 4 at the top thereof and having a roundcover or lid 5, provided with lid openings 5 b and optionally, with adownwardly-extending lid flange 6 deployed around the periphery of thelid panel 5 a of the lid 5. The container wall 3 extends to a containerbottom 8, having a container-supporting panel flange 10 extending arounda bottom panel 9, to define a container interior 7, as furtherillustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings. A panel flange slot 11 isprovided in the panel flange 10 of the container bottom 8 to assure acontinuous flow of air to the air blower 13, having a blower suction 14mounted in an opening provided in the bottom panel 9 of the containerbottom 8, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The blower suction 14 ischaracterized by a suction opening 14 a that extends through the openingin the bottom panel 9, as illustrated in FIG. 4 and communicates with abottom annulus 28, defined by the liner bottom 24 of a liner 21 insertedin the container 2, and the bottom panel 9 of the container bottom 8. Abattery container 16 is typically mounted on the bottom panel 9 adjacentto the air blower 13 and contains one or more batteries 17, havingwiring 18 connected to the air blower 13 and a switch 19, according tothe knowledge of those skilled in the art, for operating the air blower13 by means of the switch 19. Alternatively, the blower 13 and switch 19can be wired for 115-volt household current or the like, as desired. Theliner 21 is characterized by a cylindrical liner wall 22 which istypically smaller in diameter than the container wall 3 of the container2, to facilitate a wall annulus 29, that typically connects to thebottom annulus 28, as further illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings. Oneor more liner wall slots 25 of selected number, length and width areprovided in the liner wall 22 to facilitate air communication betweenthe liner interior 26 and the wall annulus 29. A liner flange 23 extendsaround the top periphery of the liner wall 22 and fits over thecontainer flange 4 of the container wall 3 when the liner 21 is fullyinserted inside the container 2, to seal the wall annulus 29, space theliner bottom 24 from the container bottom 8 and define and seal thebottom annulus 28, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawings. Theliner wall 22 and liner bottom 24 of the liner 21 define the linerinterior 26 that accommodates a trash bag 31, as further illustrated inFIGS. 1, 2 and 4. The trash bag 31 is conventional in design andincludes a flexible or resilient trash bag wall 32, with a trash bagbottom 34, defining a trash bag interior 33 for containing trash, asfurther illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0012] In operation of the embodiment described above and referringagain to FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawings, under circumstances where it isdesired to deploy the trash bag wall 32 and the trash bag bottom 34 of atrash bag 31 against the liner wall 22 of the liner 21 inside thecontainer 2, the lid 5 is typically, but not necessarily, seated on theliner flange 23 to close the liner 21 and the container 2 and the airblower 13 is operated by manipulating the switch 19 to the “on”position. The air blower 13 is typically energized by the batteries 17and air is caused to flow into the trash bag 31 through the lid openings5 b, if the lid 5 is in place on the container 2, or directly into thetrash bag 31, if not air also flows from the liner interior 26 of theliner 21, through the liner wall slots 25 and from the bottom annulus 28and the wall annulus 29, into the suction opening 14 a of the air blower13. The air continues to flow through the blower discharge opening 15 a,to create a vacuum inside the liner 21, between the inside wall of theliner 21 and the flexible, resilient trash bag 31. This vacuum causesthe trash bag wall 32 and the trash bag bottom 34 to fully deployagainst the inside liner wall 22 and liner bottom 24, respectively, andfacilitate complete filling of the trash bag 31, utilizing the fullvolume of the trash bag interior 33. After deployment of the trash bag31 in the liner 21, the switch 19 is turned to the “off” position, ormay be alternatively wired to automatically terminate operation of theair blower 13 by use of a timer or the like, with the trash bag 31remaining in fully deployed configuration inside the liner 21 forfilling with trash.

[0013] In another embodiment of the invention the air blower 13 ismounted on the container wall 3 of the container 2 as illustrated inFIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings. In this embodiment the blower suction 14is secured to the container wall 3 of the container 2 and the suctionopening 14 a communicates with an opening in the container wall 3 andthe wall annulus 29, as illustrated in FIG. 6 to facilitate operation ofthe air blower 13 and expelling air from the liner interior 26, the wallannulus 29 and the bottom annulus 28, since the bottom annulus 28 isconnected to the wall annulus 29, to fully deploy the trash bag 31inside the liner 21 in the same manner as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4of the drawings and as described above. Accordingly, under circumstanceswhere the air blower 13 is mounted on the container wall 3 of thecontainer 2 as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings, when theswitch 19 is manipulated to the “on” position, the air blower 13 isoperated to cause air to flow from the liner interior 26, through theliner wall slots 25 and into the wall annulus 29. Air continues to flowfrom the wall annulus 29 and the connected bottom annulus 28, throughthe suction opening 14 a of the blower suction 14 and from the airblower 13 through the blower discharge opening 15 a of the blowerdischarge 15. Accordingly, a vacuum is generated in the liner 21 andthis vacuum causes the trash bag wall 32 to fully deploy against theliner wall 22 of the liner 21 and the trash bag bottom 34 to seatagainst the liner bottom 24, and allow optimum use of the trash baginterior 33 for receiving trash. As in the first embodiment of theinvention, when the switch 19 is manually turned to the “off” position,or is deployed in “automatic” mode according to the knowledge of thoseskilled in the art, operation of the air blower 13 is terminated and thetrash bag 31 remains deployed in an optimum trash-receivingconfiguration inside the liner 21 of the vacuum-operated trashreceptacle 1.

[0014] Referring now to FIG. 7 of the drawings in a third embodiment ofthe invention, the blower 13 is mounted on the inside of the lid panel 5a of the lid 5, along with a battery container 16 and batteries 17 and aswitch 19, with the blower 13 deployed to eject air from the blowerdischarge 15 into the trash bag 31 and deploy the trash bag 31 in thecontainer 2 using a perforated liner 21 or one that has no liner flange23. This liner configuration allows air to flow from around the trashbag 31, through the liner wall slots 25 and from the side annulus 29 atthe top thereof, due to the increase in air pressure inside the trashbag 21.

[0015] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that thevacuum-operated trash receptacle 1 of this invention is characterized byconvenience and flexibility, in that while the container 2 and liner 21are illustrated as cylindrical in configuration, other cross-sectionalconfigurations, including various polygons, such as a square, hexagon,pentagon and the like, can be utilized to shape the container wall 3 andthe corresponding liner wall 22, as well. Furthermore, openings such asvariously shaped holes other than the liner wall slots 25 may beprovided in the liner wall 22 of the liner 21 to facilitate creation ofa vacuum in the liner interior 26 by operation of the air blower 13 oran alternative inflating or pressurizing device or a vacuum pump ofchoice. In addition, the air blower 13 can be operated by direct currentsupplied by the batteries 17 or by alternating current, as described,and can be placed at any desired location between the container flange 4of the container wall 3 and the panel flange 10 at the bottom of thecontainer wall 3, as well as on the lid 5 and may be sized to handle theair flow from a liner 21 of selected size and volume, as desired.Likewise, the switch 19 can be placed at any desired and convenientlocation on the container bottom 8, the container wall 3 or on the lid5, according to the desires of the user.

[0016] It will be appreciated that the liner 21 can be sized to fitinside the container 2 snugly or loosely, such that either a bottomannulus 28 or a wall annulus 29 is formed, and the air blower 13 thenpositioned to locate the blower suction 14 accordingly. In the case ofonly the bottom annulus 28, an opening or openings (not illustrated)must be provided in the liner bottom 24 to facilitate creation of thedesired vacuum in the liner interior 26 of the liner 21.

[0017] It will be further appreciated by those skilled in the art thatthe materials of construction of the container 2 and the liner 21 of thevacuum-operated trash receptacle 1 can be varied, although in apreferred embodiment the container 2 and the liner 21 are constructed ofmetal or of a plastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene andthe like, in non-exclusive particular, for simplicity and minimumexpense in fabrication, weather resistance, lightness of weight andoptimum longevity. Furthermore, the container 2 and the liner 21 can beconstructed of any desired size to receive standard-sized trash bags 31,according to the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0018] While the preferred embodiments of the invention have beendescribed above, it will be recognized and understood that variousmodifications may be made in the invention and the appended claims areintended to cover all such modifications which may fall within thespirit and scope of the invention.

Having described my invention with the particularity set forth above,what is claimed is:
 1. A vacuum-operated trash receptacle comprising acontainer; a liner disposed for placement in said container andreceiving a trash bag, wherein at least one dimension of said liner issmaller than the corresponding dimension of said container, to form anannulus between said liner and said container; at least one openingprovided in said liner, said opening communicating from the interior ofsaid liner to said annulus; and a vacuum-producing device provided onsaid container, said vacuum-producing device communicating with saidannulus, wherein a vacuum is created in said liner and the trash bag isdeployed against said liner responsive to operation of saidvacuum-producing device.
 2. The vacuum-operated trash receptacle ofclaim 1 wherein said at least one opening comprises a plurality ofopenings provided in spaced-apart relationship with respect to eachother in said liner.
 3. The vacuum-operated trash receptacle of claim 1wherein said container is defined by a container wall and a containerbottom closing one end of said container wall and wherein saidvacuum-producing device is provided on said container bottom.
 4. Thevacuum-operated trash receptacle of claim 3 wherein said at least oneopening comprises a plurality of openings provided in spaced-apartrelationship with respect to each other in said liner.
 5. Thevacuum-operated trash receptacle of claim 1 wherein said container isdefined by a container wall and a container bottom closing one end ofsaid container wall and wherein said vacuum-producing device is providedon said container wall.
 6. The vacuum-operated trash receptacle of claim5 wherein said at least one opening comprises a plurality of openingsprovided in spaced-apart relationship with respect to each other in saidliner.
 7. The vacuum-operated trash receptacle of claim 1 wherein saidat least one opening comprises at least two slots provided in saidliner.
 8. The vacuum-operated trash receptacle of claim 1 comprising aperforated container lid for removably closing said liner and saidcontainer and wherein said container is defined by a container wall, acontainer bottom closing one end of said container wall and a containerflange extending around the opposite end of said container wall and saidliner is defined by a liner wall, a liner bottom closing one end of saidliner wall, said liner bottom spaced from said container bottom todefine said annulus and a liner flange provided on the opposite end ofsaid liner wall from said liner bottom, said liner flange engaging saidcontainer flange for removably receiving said container lid and whereinsaid vacuum-producing device is mounted on said container bottom.
 9. Thevacuum-operated trash receptacle of claim 1 comprising a perforatedcontainer lid for removably closing said linerand said container andwherein said container is defined by a container wall, a containerbottom closing one end of said container wall, a container flangeextending around the opposite end of said container wall and said lineris defined by a liner wall having a liner flange, said liner wall spacedfrom said container wall to define said annulus and said liner flangeengaging said container flange for removably receiving said containerlid and wherein said vacuum-producing device is mounted on saidcontainer wall.
 10. A vacuum-operated trash receptacle comprising acontainer having a container wall; a container flange provided on oneend of said container wall and a container bottom provided on theopposite end of said container wall from said container flange; a linerdisposed for placement inside said container; a liner flange provided onone end of said liner for engaging said container flange on said one endof said container wall when said liner is placed in said container andat least one opening provided in said liner; a perforated container lidfor removably engaging said liner flange and closing said liner and saidcontainer; a liner bottom provided in said liner, said liner bottomspaced from said container bottom to define an annulus; and an airblower provided on said container bottom, said air blower having ablower suction extending through said container bottom and communicatingwith said annulus and a blower discharge located outside of saidcontainer, wherein a vacuum is created in said liner at the trash bagresponsive to operation of said air blower.
 11. The vacuum-operatedtrash receptacle of claim 10 wherein said at least one opening comprisesa plurality of openings provided in spaced-apart relationship withrespect to each other in said liner.
 12. A vacuum-operated trashreceptacle comprising a container having a perforated lid; a linerdisposed for placement in said container and receiving a trash bag,wherein the dimensions of said liner are smaller than the dimensions ofsaid container to form an annulus between said liner and said container;at least one opening provided in said liner, said opening communicatingfrom the interior of said liner to said annulus; and an air blowermounted on said container, said air blower having a blower suctionextending through said container and communicating with said annulus anda blower discharge located outside of said container, wherein a vacuumis created in said liner at the trash bag responsive to closing of saidlid over said container and said liner and operation of said blower totransfer air from said liner and said annulus through said blowersuction, to said blower discharge of said blower.
 13. Thevacuum-operated trash receptacle of claim 12 wherein said at least oneopening comprises a plurality of openings provided in spaced-apartrelationship with respect to each other in said liner.
 14. Thevacuum-operated trash receptacle of claim 12 wherein said container isdefined by a container wall and a container bottom closing one end ofsaid container wall and wherein said air blower is provided on saidcontainer bottom and said suction of said air blower extends saidannulus.
 15. The vacuum-operated trash receptacle of claim 14 whereinsaid at least one opening comprises a plurality of openings provided inspaced-apart relationship with respect to each other in said liner. 16.The vacuum-operated trash receptacle of claim 12 wherein said containeris defined by a container wall and a container bottom closing one end ofsaid container wall and wherein said air blower is provided on saidcontainer wall and said suction of said air blower extends into saidannulus.
 17. The vacuum-operated trash receptacle of claim 16 whereinsaid at least one opening comprises a plurality of openings provided inspaced-apart relationship with respect to each other in said liner. 18.The vacuum-operated trash receptacle of claim 1 wherein saidvacuum-producing device is mounted on said container lid and saiddischarge of said vacuum-producing device extends into or above thetrash bag and said suction of said vacuum-producing device extendsthrough said container lid for discharging air from outside saidcontainer into the trash bag.
 19. The vacuum-operated trash receptacleof claim 19 wherein said annulus is substantially open at the top ofsaid liner and said container and said annulus communicates with saidlid openings in said lid.